Cooperberg Discusses New Drugs in Prostate CancerOncLiveThis year's approval of radium-223 chloride (Xofigo) continues the four-year run of important new prostate cancer drugs, and Dr. Matthew Cooperberg, MPH, thinks the run will continue over the next few years.
"Between 2004 and 2010, we didn't see any new drugs for prostate cancers. Since then, we've had six approved, with more in late-stage development, and most of them have non-overlapping mechanisms of action," said Cooperberg, a urologic oncologist and epidemiologist specializing in prostate cancer at the UCSF Cancer Center.

AAFP: 72 Percent of Patients Prefer Physicians to NPsHealthLeadersMediaA study commissioned by the American Academy of Family Physicians shows 72 percent patients prefer physicians over nurse practitioners for their medical care.
"We decided in the setting of everybody talking about patient-centered medical homes and transforming healthcare that it would be really important to go out and ask patients what they thought about how their healthcare is provided," says Dr. Reid Blackwelder, president of AAFP. The survey of 1,363 adults was taken in early November.

SGR Bill's Payment Transparency Provision Elicits ConcernHealthLeadersMediaAlmost lost in the brouhaha over the expected repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate funding formula is a provision that would make a physicians' Medicare claims database available to the public online and at no cost.

In Healthcare Experiment, Patients Pay More for 'Bad' MedicineReutersWhen Tanner Martin, 17, developed excruciating back pain last year, he was sure he needed an X-ray to find out what was wrong. So was his mother, who worried that the pain might indicate a serious injury that could cause permanent disability.
But Konnie Martin was no ordinary parent. As chief executive officer of San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa, Colo., she is at the center of an experiment, known as value-based insurance, that could transform American healthcare.

7 Signs Providers Are Opening Up About Bad Healthcare OutcomesHealthLeadersMediaHospitals and physicians are increasingly working together to be more forthcoming with patients about medical errors and other causes of bad outcomes.
After a procedure doctors said was extremely safe, something went terribly wrong. An otherwise alert and healthy patient isn't better and in fact, she's a lot worse. She's in a coma, or she may die, or at best, spend months in intensive care.

Proposal Would Protect Volunteer DoctorsHealthLeaders MediaWaiting rooms are often full at community health centers, which operate on limited budgets and provide care even when patients can't pay. Private-practice doctors from the region who would be willing to donate services to help ease the burden on centers' staffs are stymied by a federal law. But members of Congress, including Rep. Tim Murphy, are trying to change that.

Cancer Deaths Rise in Those With Reduced Kidney FunctionRenal Business TodayCancer patients are more likely to die from their disease if they have reduced kidney function, according to a new study published online in the National Kidney Foundation's American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
The research also found that the correlation between cancer mortality and kidney disease remained high even in patients with a mild to moderate reduction in kidney function — also known as early stage chronic kidney disease.

Inflammation Noted In Repeat Prostate Biopsies Linked To Reduced Future Prostate Cancer RiskForbesResearchers from North Shore LIJ recently reported that cellular evidence of inflammation in a man’s prostate biopsy may suggest that he has a reduced risk of subsequently being diagnosed with prostate cancer in a later biopsy. As a result of its predictive value, inflammation should be routinely reported in prostate biopsies, suggest the study’s investigators.

Light Exercise, Healthy Diet Prevent Kidney StonesUniversity HeraldEngaging in any form of light physical activity like lifting a baby can ward off kidney stones, according to University of Washington School of Medicine study.
Kidney stones, also known renal lithiasis, are more prevalent in women. Previous studies have linked kidney stones to obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Being obese doubles the risk of developing kidney stones.

Cooperberg Discusses New Drugs in Prostate CancerOncLiveThis year's approval of radium-223 chloride (Xofigo) continues the 4-year run of important new prostate cancer drugs, and Matthew Cooperberg, MD, MPH, thinks the run will continue over the next few years.
"Between 2004 and 2010, we didn't see any new drugs for prostate cancers. Since then, we've had six approved, with more in late-stage development, and most of them have non-overlapping mechanisms of action," said Cooperberg, a urologic oncologist and epidemiologist specializing in prostate cancer at the UCSF Cancer Center.

New Link Between Obesity, Early Decline in Kidney FunctionUCSFA new UC San Francisco-led study of nearly 3,000 individuals links obesity to the development of kidney disease. The work also shows that, when properly measured, declines in kidney function are detectable long before the emergence of other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Healthy kidneys are vital to the proper functioning of the heart and brain, as well as the skeletal and immune systems, and the research adds additional urgency to the call for doctors to intervene early in life with obese patients, the researchers said.

New More Accurate Way to Pinpoint Prostate CancerKFSN-TVAbout 240,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the U.S. One of the biggest challenges for doctors is correctly diagnosing this type of cancer. Now, there's a new way to pinpoint prostate cancer that's more accurate than ever.
Three years ago, Don Buck had a biopsy to check for prostate cancer. It came back clear.

Researchers Grow Kidney from Stem CellsBioscience TechnologyUniversity of Queensland researchers have made a major leap forward in treating renal disease, announcing they have grown a kidney using stem cells.
The breakthrough paves the way for improved treatments for patients with kidney disease and bodes well for the future of the wider field of bioengineering organs.

Type of Surgical Anesthesia Might Influence Prostate Cancer'sHealthDay NewsFor men having prostate cancer surgery, the type of anesthesia doctors use might make a difference in the odds of the cancer returning, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of nearly 3,300 men who underwent prostate cancer surgery, those who were given both general and regional anesthesia had a lower risk of seeing their cancer progress than men who received only general anesthesia.